The Garuda UNY Eco Team from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) achieved a major international victory by securing first place in the Urban Concept – Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) category at the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia-Pacific and Middle East 2026 competition held January 21–25, 2026 at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar.

The Shell Eco-Marathon event is a prestigious international student engineering competition in which teams from universities across Asia Pacific and the Middle East design and build ultra-energy-efficient vehicles. In 2026, 96 teams from multiple countries participated, with Indonesia represented by 28 teams from both public and private higher education institutions.

UNY sent a team of seven student competitors, all guided by two faculty advisors from the Faculty of Engineering. Through careful preparation, teamwork, and strategic energy management, the Garuda UNY Team led by student Fadhil Akmal delivered a winning performance that achieved an energy efficiency record of 535 km per liter.

The team’s success not only brings prestige to Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta and Indonesia but also highlights the emerging talent of Indonesian students in technological innovation and sustainable engineering.

During the competition, support also came from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Qatar, which visited the paddocks and showed encouragement for all Indonesian teams participating in the international event.